2011 Latvian Higher League

The 2011 Latvian Higher League () was the 20th season of top-tier football in Latvia. It began on 15 April 2011 and ended on 5 November 2011.

The competition was won by FK Ventspils, who thus qualified for the 2012Ã¢ÂÂ13 UEFA Champions League. Runners-up LiepÃÂjas Metalurgs and third-placed sides Daugava Daugavpils earned spots for the 2012Ã¢ÂÂ13 UEFA Europa League. On the bottom end of the table, JFK Olimps/RFS were relegated after losing their play-off series against Spartaks JÃÂ«rmala.

All nine clubs played every other club four times during the course of the season: twice at home and twice away. In addition, there will be no direct relegation to the Latvian First League this year.

Teams

JaunÃÂ«ba RÃÂ«ga finished the previous year's competition in tenth place and were relegated to the Latvian First League. This ended a one-year stay in the top flight. Promoted to the Higher League from the First Division automatically were the previous season's First Division champions, Gulbene 2005, who are taking part in the top flight for the first time in their history in 2011.

FC Tranzit finished 9th in the 2010 Higher League competition and were supposed to compete in a promotion/relegation playoff against the runners-up of the First Division, FC JÃÂ«rmala. However, before this playoff took place, Tranzit informed the Latvian Football Federation that they were forfeiting their place in the Higher League altogether, ending a two-year stay in the top flight. Therefore, FC JÃÂ«rmala were promoted to the Higher League automatically. Like Gulbene, they are competing in the top flight for the first time in their history in 2011.

Finally, SK BlÃÂzma decided to withdraw from the league during the off-season. This ended a three-year stay in the top flight. At a meeting on 28 January 2011, the LFF decided that they would not be replaced in this year's competition.

Team summaries

League table

Results

First half of season

Second half of season

Relegation play-offs

At the season's end, the 9th place club in the Latvian Higher League will face the runners-up of the Latvian First League in a two-legged playoff, with the winner being awarded a spot in the 2012 Higher League competition.